He said, she said: Did Mayor Cox tell Najera to quit Port post?

Cox gave Najera until noon Tuesday to resign or she would go to the media, the port commissioner said.

“I'm not sure of her motivation,” Najera said.

Cox said Tuesday she met with Najera to discuss her concerns but she would not elaborate.

Najera said Cox made her request during an 11 a.m. meeting Monday, which he thought was a catch-up session.

He recalled her saying, “'I just want to cut to the chase and I want you to resign. I want you to step down. I lost confidence in your ability to get the bayfront done,'” Najera said. “She said 'It's been two and a half years and it's not done yet.' I said 'You've been mayor for all this time as well, should you take part in the blame?'”

Chula Vista City Attorney Bart Miesfeld said the City Council can remove a Port District commissioner with a majority vote. It was not an item on Tuesday's City Council agenda.

Najera was first appointed in 2006 to fill the remainder of William Hall's term. He was reappointed for a full four-year term in 2007 and at the time vowed to transform the city's bayfront through development saying, “I want that land to be deep in the first phase of construction by the end of my term in 2011.”

Plans for the bayfront halted in November when for the second and final time Gaylord Entertainment dropped its plan to build a hotel and convention center. The failed deal was the latest in 35 years of attempts to develop the city's waterfront.

Bayfront projects are not in the hands of a sole port commissioner. Seven commissioners represent the five port cities of San Diego, Coronado, National City, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach.

“I think that over the 40-plus years that the port has been in existence, there have been numerous port commissioners who have represented Chula Vista and none of them have been able to accomplish any sort of development either,” Councilman Steve Castaneda said. “So, I'm not sure that we can lay any significant blame on Mr. Najera.”

Councilman Rudy Ramirez said he did not want to criticize Najera, but said he is unhappy with the slow progress on the Chula Vista bayfront.

“I'm dissatisfied overall with the progress that Chula Vista has been able to make with our port,” Ramirez said. “Nothing seems to get done over there and I'm concerned with that.”

One reason Cox could be upset, Najera said, is the proposed land swap between the Port District and Pacifica Companies, a development company interested in building a hotel and condominium development on the bayfront adjacent to where the Gaylord project was slated.

Najera said he usually met with Cox about once a month to talk about port issues, but said he scaled back the meetings recently because of personal financial troubles.

His construction business, Cornerstone Building Group, recently closed and he filed for personal bankruptcy in February. According to public records, he is in default on one of three properties listed in his name in Chula Vista.

Aside from that, all of his efforts have been concentrated on the Chula Vista bayfront, he said.

He said he helped pass a port resolution stating no new power plant would be built on the Chula Vista bayfront, made Chula Vista projects a priority during the recent port board of directors retreat and approached Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, about funding for infrastructure on the city's waterfront.

Fellow port commissioners Cushman and Robert “Dukie” Valderrama said they are confused about Cox's attempt to oust Najera. They described him as a team player and hard worker.

“He's a terrific commissioner he's been a great representative of his city. He's always prepared when he comes into board meetings, he does his homework, he's dedicated and he's a good advocate for his city,” Cushman said.